To date, Qatar is best known for the Al Jazeera news channel, sports channels and kids services. Now it says it will launch a new ‘general entertainment’ Arabic channel to rival the top-rated MBC and LBC services. Local reports say the all-entertainment channel is looking to tempt existing on-air talent, and producers, to Qatar’s capital […]
In a seeming about-turn from its previous position, US telecoms and media company Cablevision is putting its support behind major US broadcast networks in their attempts to stop online television start-up Aereo from broadcasting TV programming over the Internet. Cablevision had been the subject of an action from companies such as Disney and News Corp […]
Less than one week before the deadline for the submission of non-binding bids, Italian commercial broadcaster Mediaset has pulled out of the bidding to acquire the TV assets of Telecom Italia Media. In a reaction to press speculation, Mediaset issued a statement in which it formally rules itself out of the race, revealing that such […]
France’s broadcasting regulator, the Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel (CSA), has authorised the sale of Direct 8 and Direct Star, previously owned 100 per cent by the Bolloré group, to the Canal+ Group. The decision follows what Canal+ describes as intense dialogue with the CSA, with the broadcaster accepting a number of undertakings aimed at protecting […]
French broadcasting regulator the Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel is taking steps to increase coverage targets of HD channels carried by the multiplex R5 (TF1 HD, France 2 HD, M6 HD). These three channels will reach, by 2015, the same coverage as other free DTT services – about 97 per cent of the population, with 1,627 […]
Alki David, Founder and CEO of FilmOn.tv Networks has launched the company’s first over-the-air ‘primary channel’ in the LA market place. FilmOn.tv LA is being carried on all major cable platforms in Los Angeles including Time Warner, Dish Network and DirecTV. The programming fare for the new channel includes a variety of live and interactive […]
Some two weeks after broadcast networks, led by Fox, filed lawsuits against streaming site BarryDriller.com alleging copyright and trademark infringement, media mogul and IAC chairman Barry Diller – backer of the Aereo TV streaming service – has filed a lawsuit in California federal court against site creator Alki David for violating publicity rights and false […]
Although the BBC has released figures indicating record online and catch-up viewing during the London Olympics, findings from the first half of the year suggest that linear TV channels are people’s preferred way to watch TV. Ninety per cent of linear TV viewing in the UK was of live, scheduled TV channels during the first […]
Findings from market research firm Dataxis suggest that in 2016, for the first time since television was introduced in Latin America, more people will be accessing digital terrestrial TV (DTT) than traditional, analogue free-to-air broadcasts in the region. By the end of 2012, Dataxis projects that there will be 12.3 million households actively receiving DTT […]
IHS Research reports that US pay-TV subs are being lost to Netflix users and other OTT providers. This is always an eye catching headline in our sector, and I confidently predict it will rise close to the top of our most-read parade in coming days. However, like a lot of similar reports, it is a […]